Originally posted by Michael Piziak Very nice set of images.
I sure wouldn't want to be the guys wearing all the red on a battlefield !
It was a different type of war, Michael. The clothing/uniforms had nothing to do with utility, comfort, or durability. It had everything to do with STYLE. A huge emphasis was placed upon a manly look and BEING manly. Those big, bushy beards were considered very manly. The red could designate a member of an artillery unit OR, as in the photo above, it could be a "Fire Zouave". These units were mainly compose of New York firemen. Their uniforms were derived from Napoleonic French uniforms. And, while they may look garish or silly to US, they were (for a while) considered the elite units of the Union forces, When most of the original members were killed off and the Federals standardized uniforms (sort of), elite units of nail-tough men started to appear. Like the Iron Brigade from Michigan or the Pennsylvania Bucktails. These units struck fear into their opponents and justifiably so!